While the three biggest Hollywood stars’ off-screen personas may be different, their on-screen personas are practically identical. That’s because they’ve all been coached by the same person: their mother, Gwyneth Paltrow. The three actors spend a lot of time together on set—especially since Paltrow is their producer—and they’ve obviously grown very close over the years. While promoting their joint upcoming movie, On the Road, in New York City, the trio revealed 10 things you probably didn’t know about them.
They Have All Been To The Best Private Schools.
Even before they became famous, William Dafoe, Robert Pattinson, and Kristen Stewart were attending the best private schools. In fact, Stewart has said that she and her twin sister, Chloe, were raised with a ‘‘sense of entitlement’’ because their parents were so wealthy. She also went on to praise their education, saying, ‘‘I feel incredibly lucky to have had the opportunity to grow up in such a supportive family. Both my parents are scientists, and they always emphasized education as the key to understanding the world around you. It was a really smart move on their part, since it gave me the confidence to pursue my dreams while still being able to support myself financially.’’
Pattinson’s father is an accountant, and he has spoken about how expensive school was back in the day. Still, even with the tuition costs, the English actor feels that he would not have been able to afford his current lifestyle without going to expensive schools.
They’ve All Been To The Theater.
Both Dafoe and Pattinson have attended acting school, while Stewart went to an art school for a short while before focusing on acting. In any case, they’re all talented and experienced actors who understand the importance of being prepared. That’s why they’ve all agreed to lend their vocal chords to the same project: promoting On the Road, the new film directed by Terry Gilliam, which also stars Amy Adams, Christian Bale, and Elisabeth Shue. The project is set for release on May 19, 2015.
They All Have An Attachment To Biology.
While designing their characters for the upcoming film, On the Road, the three young stars had to consider their physical appearances. After deciding to go with Robert Pattinson’s natural hair color, they then changed his character’s hair color to golden blonde to match their own natural hair colors. As for William Dafoe, he decided to go with a full beard for the role of John Steinbeck’s iconic novelist, Jack London, even though he is usually clean-shaven. And Kristen Stewart opted for a lighter hair color and wore a blondeish wig to match the character she’s playing, Edie Sedgwick.
As for the rest of the project, the actresses had to tone down a bit their acting so that their ‘‘non-acting” faces would not be completely covered by make-up. That’s because while the movie deals with the Beat writers’ social life in the 20s, the directors did not want the audience to focus solely on their glamorous day-to-night life. As a result, Paltrow had to limit the amount of make-up applied to the stars’ faces. The film’s makeup artist, Natasha Puri, discussed why they had to keep some of the actresses’ natural features visible, saying, ‘‘We didn’t want to cover their faces completely, because they are already a living monument to elegance and beauty. So we wanted to keep some of that natural beauty to represent the character.’’
They’ve All Been Through Difficult Personal Experiences.
While discussing the pressures of portraying famous literary characters, Dafoe said that he had to put himself in the shoes of Steinbeck or London to better understand what they were going through. Still, the actor is clearly taking the role as a challenge, as he revealed that he had to overcome his fear of flying and driving on the other side of the road in order to play a Californian. Stewart had to cope with the sudden death of her father, William Stewart, when she was 17. She also had to overcome her shyness and fear of failing as a result of not being good enough.
As for Pattinson, he lost his father, Alexander, to cancer when he was 15. Five years later, his mother, Rosette, died of the same disease. Pattinson has said that the experience made him realize the fragility of life, adding, ‘‘I think about my father a lot. Growing up, he was always there for me, and I miss him a lot.’’
They Know How To Dress The Part.
In addition to their acting training, all three have been schooled in the art of dressing the part. Pattinson has said that he would often receive make-over sessions from his mom to better understand what was happening in the fashion industry. And Dafoe has spoken about receiving acting lessons from renowned fashion designer, Oscar de la Renta. While promoting their film, The Spectacular Now, Stewart admitted to getting help with her outfits from stylists, along with getting her hair and makeup done by the same people. She also credited her personal stylist with helping her land the part of Edie Sedgwick in the film.
They Are Experts When It Comes To Fashion And Style.
Besides teaching them how to dress the part, Gwyneth Paltrow has also helped shape their style. The actress has stated that she would often call upon her design expertise to help her outfits match the characters she was playing at the time. She has also spoken about how she would ask her son, Apple, for fashion advice, adding, ‘‘I would say, ‘Darling, can you give me some help with this?’ And he would go through the whole outfit, from hair to shoes. He’s very helpful and very smart. He’s almost like a fashion psychologist!’’
As for the actresses, even before they became famous, Stewart was known for her distinct style and was often compared to classic female icons like Grace Kelly and Princess Grace of Monaco. And as mentioned, Apple plays a key role in Stewart’s style evolution. In an interview for Elle, she stated, ‘‘He’s the person I turn to whenever I want to know what would look good on me, whether it’s a hair-style or an outfit. If I have a photo shoot or a red-carpet moment and I don’t know what would look best, he’s the person I call. He helped me a lot with my style, so I think of him as a fashion brother-confessor.’’
They All Support Each Other Artistically.
Even before they became famous, Dafoe, Pattinson, and Stewart were supporting and helping each other artistically. For instance, Dafoe designed the artwork for the band, Broken English, which is performed by Pattinson and Stewart. And even now that they’re all successful, they continue to support each other art-wise. While talking about On the Road, Stewart said, ‘‘It’s such a unique experience to be able to work with these incredible, creative individuals. When I sit with them and they’re drawing, I feel like I’ve opened the door to another world. It’s such a gift to be around people who have this creative energy.’’
They Have All Been To The Best Specila-Family Reunions.
While talking about their upcoming movie, On the Road, the trio revealed that they had all been to amazing family gatherings. In fact, Stewart had said that she hoped to make a movie that reflected what it’s like to grow up in a ‘‘really cool’’ family. So far, she’s made that wish come true.
Dafoe stated, ‘‘We went to my grandmother’s funeral last year, and it was such a happy moment to see all of my aunts, uncles, and cousins. It was a real celebration of her life. It was incredible.’’ Still, it’s not just their grandmother’s funeral that was special. Even before her grandmother passed away, Stewart had said that she looked forward to family gatherings because it gave her a chance to catch up with her aunts, uncles, and cousins. Since then, she’s attended several family reunions and has even bought a vacation home in the California wine country to spend more time with them.